Sunferries have just launched a new promotional campaign aimed at increasing the visitation to Magnetic Island from Townsville which offers Townsville locals the opportunity to travel on Sunferries to Magnetic Island for 50% off adult and child ferry tickets, with the condition they travel on the 7.05am service.

The Sunrise Saver offer is valid 7 days per week and the 50% off ticket is available for purchase between the 6.30am and 7.05am service daily, for travel the same day. Guests are able to return to Townsville on any service from Magnetic Island.

According to Sunferries' General Manager Darin McDonald, "The 7.05am ferry service has been carefully selected for the promotion with the aim of enabling locals to spend the whole day on the island, experience the great island cafes and restaurants by having breakfast and lunch on the island and enjoy an affordable last minute activity option for local couples, families and friends.

"With over 180,000 people living in Townsville, we anticipate this promotional campaign to be a call to action, targeting locals whom would like to enjoy what the island has to offer for a special price and to re-spark the desire for locals to visit our beautiful island."

To add your comment, or read those of others, see below

50% off ferry ticket to Magnetic on early boat

9 comments

Marilyn

October 31st 2010

What took them so long? They should have been doing this years ago.

Chris C

October 31st 2010

Well, well, well. How long exactly have they been in business?

It's taken them all this time to realise that the one single market they have to crack is Townsville locals, that the major barrier for them is price/value, and that the smart thing would be to offer things like 2-for-ones to get them over them line - it's very simple really, 1 fare is better than none.

No doubt TEL will give them a tourism award for their 'foresight'. Or perhaps, restricting the offer to early boats will doom the exercise to failure so that they can continue operating in blissful ignorance?

Rob

October 31st 2010

couldnt agree more chris. It's like duh! - drop the price and go for volume. Wonder how many marketing experts that took to figure or how desperate the numbers were getting

paco

November 1st 2010

for me the main barrier to locals going to the island is the price of the tickets.

Susie

November 3rd 2010

What a sad bunch of whingers above. I would say THANK YOU. Better late than never.

Rob Isaacs

November 6th 2010

Does the 50% price cut in fares apply to islanders as well ?

Tilly H

November 8th 2010

Maggie unfortunately is a place with many who ran away to their paradise only to find that they took their problems and attitudes with them. They just don't get it and have nothing better to do than winge at their unhappy self destructive lives.

Stacy Williams

November 8th 2010

Beware of this half off scam! On Sunday (October 7th) my partner and I took a trip over to Maggie Island. We hadn't read this article and the woman at the desk charged us full price for our 7:05 ferry w/ return. The man who punched our tickets asked us if we were locals and when we said yes he told us we should only have been charged half price (I am originally from the U.S. and partner is originally from the U.K so the woman obviously just made the assumption that we weren't local) and that we should ask for a refund when we returned. When we did so, the woman told us that it was only for locals, again making an incorrect assumption that we weren't from Townsville. When we told her we were locals she said that you can only get the discount if you mention the ad and show your id when you buy the tickets and refused to refund us. Where in this article does it say that you must mention the ad? I think she just didn't want to fess up to her blunder. Two thumbs down to Sunferries awesome "deal" and the way in which they handle their mistakes!!!

chris g

November 13th 2010

We are lucky to have such a good service. for what is really a three month business Thanks SF for the special offer. You will always get whingers here no matter what you do, They are a sad mob and well done for the initiative